


To Bridge That Gap

by Jaakusan



Category: Rosario + Vampire, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Bullying, Gen, Rating May Change, the Rosario+Vampire AU nobody asked for, this may get gay later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 02:13:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11476461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaakusan/pseuds/Jaakusan
Summary: Monsters are strong, while humans are weak. Monsters are ferocious, while humans are fragile. Monsters and humans must live separately, secretly, for there to be peace. Midoriya Izuku knows this. Midoriya Izuku thinks this is bullshit.





	1. Kids Are Cruel

**Author's Note:**

> I had another story entirely completely planned out, and I started this instead. Go me.

_There are monsters in this world._

A young boy stands, trembling, between a girl crying on the ground and the pack of children responsible. No adults are in sight.

_In our schools, our jobs, our stores. In cities and suburbs, forests and fields. They hide among us. Live alongside us._

The leader of the pack sneers openly, red eyes narrw, sharp teeth flashing. "Seriously, Deku?" The two boys at his back titter and spread out, circling.

The boy in the middle doesn't take his eyes off the leader. "Kacchan, you have to stop."

_Most are quiet. They live boring lives, sullen and withdrawn in their disgust. They eye us enviously from the shadows and never stir a step into the light._

The leader bristles. "Trash like that doesn't belong in front of me! If she's so weak she needs _you_ to stand up for her, she should just die already and stop wasting my air!"

The crying girl curls in on herself, gathering her arms and knees beneath her body. Her protector bristles back, despite the tears gathering in his own green eyes. "That's mean, Kacchan! You shouldn't say things like that! A Ronin wouldn't say those things!"

_But some find the will to come out. They are the truly dangerous, working their malice freely, then darting back into the shadows to hide._

The air seems to grow darker as the lead boy _snarls_ at the other, who flinches back and trembles harder. His cronies pause their prowling to watch.

"What would you know about Ronin! They're the strongest! They can do what they want! Something like _you_ wouldn't-"

The girl on the ground shifts, and where there had been a crying child is now a two-tailed cat, running for the road with all her might. The other two give chase, whooping loudly and shifting their own forms to something less than human.

"Maiko-chan!" The green-eyed boy finally turns away from the angry child in front of him and starts to run after the trio. He only makes it a few steps before something hits his back, and he goes down under the weight of the other boy.

_So always remember._

"Stupid Deku, see what you did? Now we have to go find the trash again." Hot breath puffs against his neck as an equally hot hand grinds his cheek into the asphalt. "What were you even trying to do?"

"K-Kacchan..."

Something rough scrapes against his skin.

"A human like you should just _know your place_ already."

Sharp teeth bite down.

_There are monsters in this world._


	2. Onwards, to the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku takes his first, stumbling baby steps on the road to success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied. Nothing happens yet.

Izuku gripped his bag tightly as he stared out the window, trying not to vibrate out of his seat in excitement. Not that the scenery inspired much on its own; desolate scrubland rumbled under the wheels of the bus and spread out as far as the eye could see. But somewhere along this road lay the first step toward realizing his dream.

The Entrance Exam for Yuuei Academy of Monsters.

 _'Once this bus stops...'_ There was a slight _crunch_ as one of Izuku's binders crumpled under the force. _'Once this bus stops, my chance will finally be here! To get into that department and-!'_ He devolved into excited muttering, hopes and plans for the future unrolling in a low stream as a dark smudge grew on the horizon. Caught completely in his own thoughts, Izuku didn't even notice as the smudge grew to a blob, then a model, and finally swelled into the clear image of a bus depot, approaching fast.

_Screeeeeee-BAM._

Hard plastic met nose as the brakes squeeled.

 _'Owwwwwwww...'_ Eyes watering, Izuku made his way to the front of the empty bus. The driver was kind enough not to snicker too openly, and Izuku shot him a sheepish smile and a quiet thanks as he passed. _'I've really got to pay more attention to what's going on around me...'_

He paused on the top step a moment, taking in the sites. Buses and vans pulled up and left, disgorging knots of people of all ages. The land was still flat and dry, in between the concrete, but looming above it all was a craggy mountain, the first in a small range spreading out into the distance. If he squinted, Izuku thought he could make out green around the edges. _A forest, maybe? I thought this area was supposed to be hidden because of the school, but with all these people here... Maybe there's a campground somewhere nearby? That could be a problem if it's a mixed area. Everyone will have to keep human disguises up during the test and watch what they say. Maybe it's just for monsters? What would even attract people to this place? There's nothing here except the school, right? Although maybe'_

_hOOOOOOOONK_

Izuku shrieked and leapt, banging his head against the metal frame. The driver leaned off the horn. "Get it together, kid, I can't hang around all day."

"S-sorry! Sorry! I'll get off now, thank you very much!" Face bright red and bowing slightly, Izuku scrambled down the steps and onto the dusty ground. The bus closed its doors and sped off.

He sighed and made his way towards the milling crowds. _'Really **really** need to pay more attention...'_

Past the curb there appeared to be some kind of information kiosk- a shack-like structure with large bulletin boards flanking the sides. Family groups and knots of teenagers crowded the boards before breaking off to either side.

Izuku shuffled forward slowly, trying to stay as small as possible to avoid bumping anyone with his giant bag. Notices, flyers, and, yes, a set of rules for a camping ground with a sketch map that _just_ failed to indicate any useful landmarks or directions decorated the boards in varying states of age. His brow furrowed in increasing puzzlement and anxiety as nothing out of the ordinary revealed itself.

_'The confirmation letter said there'd be further instructions at the drop-off. But I don't- maybe I have to ask at the kiosk? But they didn't give me any kind of code phrase, and everybody here... keep going in different directions?'_

Izuku chewed his lip and watched as yet another small group broke off from the rightmost board. They seemed to have some kind of argument before splitting up, two heading off to follow a formal path lined with signs, one huffily stomping off in the direction of the mountain. _'What do they see that I don't?'_

He squished and ducked, trying to avoid flailing arms and swinging bags as he tried to get a closer look. A misjudged dodge left his face smashed into a hard, flat object for the second time that day- the owner of the beachbag that hit him escaping the crush without seeming to notice.

 _'It's so crowded...'_ Izuku grumbled as he pushed off the dusty wood of the sign board. _'Don't these people have better places to be? There have to be nicer campgrounds than this.'_

Eyes watering, rubbing at his- bruised, definitely bruised- nose, he almost missed the flashing. Izuku froze.

_'Is that...?'_

Not turning his head, barely daring to breathe, he looked at the board from the corner of his eye. There, at the bottom- a mirage shimmer of light and barely-there writing.

 _'Ghost writing. Of course! The instructions are hidden in plain sight!'_ Desperately trying not to blink, Izuku swiveled his eyes, trying to find just the right angle to bring everything into clear view. _'Looks like a picture... teeth....? And something written below it...'_

Head tilted back, eyes rolling down, it finally snapped into focus. A glittering, stylized mountain peak with a simple sentence scored underneath.

_' **"Follow the sign to the path"**? Is that **it**?'_

Next to the boards was a pole with arrow-shaped signs pointing the way to the lake, a hiking trail, and everything else. Was it really that simple? Head still tilted back, Izuku let his eyes wander away from the ghost letters while he thought. They came to rest on the top of the board.

The top of the board shaped like shack next to it, complete with pointy roof. With the mountain looming behind it.

Izuku dropped his eyes back to the hidden message, and the mountain squiggle above it. Back up to the top of the board.

Squiggle.

Board.

Squiggle.

Board.

 _This_ was more like it. Smothering a giggle, he extracted himself from the crowd (enduring another whack to the shoulder and the back of his head) and headed straight for the mountain.

Ten minutes of traveling in a (mostly) straight line saw the crowds thin to almost nothing and the discovery of a small track winding further away from the direction of the campgrounds. A weathered, faded warning sign was posted at its start and shimmered slightly in the sun. A neck-cracking glance over the shoulder brought the message swimming into focus.

**The Path**

_'...I can't decide if that's sincere or sarcastic.'_

The path was badly maintained- riddled with small dips and almost completely overgrown in some spots. Izuku found himself watching his feet the entire time.

_'I get that it discourages anyone who wanders this away accidentally, but couldn't they have fixed it after a couple feet?'_

Focused on avoiding rocks, Izuku didn't really notice when the faint sounds of the carpark from before faded and changed to the murmur of voices. Only when the background had amped up to a dull roar did he look up and spot the horde of teenagers. Tens of dozens of them, chattering and lounging together on the dusty ground or the benches lined up under steel awnings.

_'Another bus stop?'_

Sure enough, a small (paved!) road could be seen rising up the side of the mountain, over the heads of the crowd. And at the edge of the mob, another blank sign, glimmering with sun spots.

Heart racing, Izuku picked up the pace.

 _'I wonder if we have any foreigners here?'_ Skin tones ranged from paper white to blue-black, sizes from near Izuku's knees to brushing the branches in the trees. Every so often the crowd would shift and expose a less normal shade and shape. _'Is that girl pink...? How did she get past the humans?'_

Preoccupied, Izuku only noticed the scree on the path when his foot slid out from under him.

 _'---!'_ A startled scream stuck in his throat as Izuku was thrown forward. The ground rose up and some small corner of his brain complained bitterly about another knock to his already bruised nose.

The impact never came.

_'Eh?'_

Izuku unscrunched his eyes from their reflexive flinch closed.

_'Eh...?'_

The ground loomed a few inches from his face.

"Ehhhh?!" Izuku squeaked and flailed his (floating!) limbs, almost missing a soft giggle.

A girl stood by him, arm outstretched. Her cute, round face was red and creased around a wide smile as she laughed.

"I'm sorry, " she said, giggles dying down, "I know I shouldn't do this in the open. But we're so far from the human now it shouldn't matter, right? Besides," she winked and tapped his nose- Izuku 'oof'ed as he dropped the rest of the way- "it would be _bad luck_ to trip at the starting line."

Izuku's face was on _fire_. He scrambled to his feet, babbling thanks and apologies and trying to hid his embarrassment behind his arms. The girl's renewed giggling didn't bode well for his success.

The giggles subsided, and the girl stretched out her hand. "Uraraka Ochako. Pleased to meet you!"

"T-the pleasure is all mine!" Izuku shook her hand vigorously. Maybe _too_ vigorously- Uraraka put her other hand over them and forced them to a standstill. Fire flared in his cheeks again. "I'm, uh, Midoriya Izuku. Thank you for your help!"

Uraraka smiled brightly at him and gave his hand a firm squeeze with both of hers. "You're welcome, Izuku-kun!" Was it possible to get any redder? Izuku was starting to feel lightheaded from the blood rush. "And _good luck_ in the test! Maybe we'll be in the same class."

He smiled back, a little shaky. "I'd like that. Good luck to you, too, Uraraka-san!"

Uraraka gave his hand one last squeeze, then let go and melted into the crowd. Izuku's hand tingled.

 _'Ahh... she was really nice.'_ He smiled goofily at nothing for a bit, then shook himself and walked over to the sign. Shading his eyes against the intense glare turned out to be the key for this one.

**Know when to be patient**

Izuku squinted, turned his head at neck-cracking angles, covered one eye then the other, but nothing else swam into focus.

"I guess... I just wait for the next bus?" Izuku was slightly disappointed; the hidden messages leading to this clearing hadn't be difficult to find or decode, but they'd kept him occupied and left him excited for the next stage. With nothing to do but wait, he could feel his anxiety building again. There was no telling what the test would actually be like and he only had the one shot. If he messed up now....

Dread hung heavy in his chest.

Izuku started to shuffle away from the sign, thinking to sit under one of the awnings and out of the sun, when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him roughly around, slamming his back into the wood.

" _What_ the _fuck_ are you doing here, Deku?!"

Red eyes glared down at him and the sun seemed to dim under the weight of an oppressive aura.

 _'Ah.'_ Izuku thought, dazed, as Kacchan bared his too-sharp teeth. _I guess it wasn't my anxiety after all.'_


End file.
